Up The Wahs! Warriors beat Roosters to break seven-year drought

By Michael Burgess

The Warriors' painful streak against the Sydney Roosters is over – and what a way to do it.

On Friday night they banked their first win over the Sydney outfit in seven years, prevailing in a gripping 14-6 contest.

The result stopped a streak of eight consecutive losses, dating back to March 2018.

More importantly, it was further proof that this Warriors team are finding their feet this season, after the dismal opening in Las Vegas.

It was the fewest points they have conceded since the 2023 season, as they beat the Roosters with their own recipe.

The only sour note was the potential loss of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, with the wing leaving the field with a hamstring injury midway through the second half.

It was impressive stuff. Last week was eye-catching, while this was much more of a battle.

After trailing for more than an hour, the Warriors produced a hot finish, with two tries in the last 15 minutes to overhaul their opponents.

The late surge was remarkable, as if the home side found energy from somewhere, then rode the emotion of a vocal 23,219 crowd.

Up until then, the Roosters looked more likely. They created more opportunities but couldn’t take them, either due to constant errors or the committed Warriors defence. Just like last week, there was a steel to the Warriors; a sense that it would take a lot for them to be beaten, even if the route to victory wasn’t entirely clear.

Centre Ali Leiataua continued his rise with two powerful tries, while Chanel Harris-Tavita started the late comeback with a superb solo effort. Fullback Charzne Nicoll-Klokstad had his best game of the season, while the forwards matched their highly vaunted opponents.

It was another win built on granite defence, in a definitive arm wrestle. They toughed it out in a brutal yardage battle, the kind of thing that counts later in the season.

It was doubly impressive since the Roosters made the most of their famous line speed and aggressive defence. They pushed the boundaries as always – with the Mt Smart crowd frustrated – but it was an effective tactic.

The attack remains a work in progress, though there were encouraging signs at times.

The Warriors had the better of the first quarter. They went close a couple of times – with Leiataua held up over the line – but couldn’t make the most of some good territory. In contrast, the Roosters scored from their first real opportunity, with Naufahu Whyte crashing over near the posts. It was no surprise, as the young Kiwi prop had been fearsome in the opening stanza.

The Warriors' response came soon afterwards, with Leiataua finishing off a neat backline move at pace, as both Luke Metcalf and Nicoll-Klokstad ran deep into the line. The injection of Dylan Walker added some variety as he tried to open up inside channels. However, the Roosters looked more dangerous. Tupou got free but his grubber eluded a couple of chasers, with Metcalf doing well to disrupt, while Mark Nawaqanitawase was narrowly denied – his feet over the dead-ball line after the visitors kept the ball alive.

The third quarter was a battle, with the Roosters often in the ascendency. The Warriors defended their right corner well, then needed more desperation to stop Dom Young on the other flank, after a Chad Townsend 40/20 had offered momentum. That phase was costly with the departure of Tuivasa-Sheck.

The Warriors were mainly throwing punches from a distance, though Pompey went close, in a rare attack. Then came Harris-Tavita’s magic moment, as he outjumped James Tedesco to catch his own chip. It was a spectacular effort – after it initially looked like the wrong option, with few teammates nearby – and showed his propensity to make things happen.

The break was prompted by a Leka Halasima offload, before Taine Tuaupiki made further inroads. Leiataua’s second try doubled down on the Warriors’ advantage and was their best of the night, with the confident centre busting through two tackles, after a direct Nicholl-Klokstad run had provided the impetus and the home side were never going to be headed from there.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission